Surface coverings, such as carpet, linoleum, wood flooring, rubberized flooring system, and tile, need to be laid over a base that will support the surface covering. Commonly, surface coverings are laid over a base of plywood or cement. These base materials are expensive to install, and once installed are difficult to remove. Recreational surfaces frequently need to be moved to different locations because the same site may be used for different activities, such as an ice rink converted to a basketball court or concert stage. A need exists for an inexpensive, easily movable base surface as a stand-alone floor surface or for use in conjunction with multiple surface coverings.
US Pub. No. 2005-0028475-A1 to Barlow describes an “Interlocked Base and an Overlaying Surface Covering,” and is hereby incorporated by reference. This application describes polymeric panels that can be used to quickly cover or create surfaces such as a concert floor over an ice rink, a stage, or a backyard patio. The panels described in this application can not always guarantee positive horizontal alignment between adjacent panels. Furthermore, the design of such panels precludes making panels that, when mated together, have straight interface lines such as those in prevalent sidewalk construction.